The prior art includes various diathermic devices for burning, cutting, and cauterizing tissue within the body of a patient. One such device is commonly referred to as an electrosurgical instrument. That instrument typically includes one electrode, in the form of a small operating tip which is connected to one, e.g., the positive, terminal of an electrosurge generator, e.g., a high frequency electrical source. The tip is arranged to be brought into engagement or very close proximity to the tissue to be treated so that an intense (dense) electric current or arc is produced between the instrument's tip and the tissue. In order to complete the electrical circuit, the other, e.g., negative, terminal of the generator is normally connected to a rather large plate electrode (typically grounded) in electrical contact with the skin of the patient. As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,761 (Prater et al.), the electrical signals provided by the generator may be of different characters to effect a different procedure. Thus, the signals may be of the type referred to as "cutting signals" for effecting the cutting of tissue by destroying (e.g., burning) the tissue cells adjacent the electrode tip. The signals may also be of the type referred to as "coagulation or hemostasis signals" for dehydrating or shrinking of blood vessel walls around a contained clot of coagulated blood, thereby fusing the vessel to seal off the flow of blood. The generator may produce a blend of the cutting and coagulating signals, such combined signals (sometimes referred to as "fulguration or blended signals") is used to effect cutting and coagulation at the same time.
Other examples of electrical devices for effecting both cutting and coagulation or either operation are found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: Re. 29,088 (Shaw); Re. 30,190 (Shaw); 2,447,169 (De Sousa); 3,336,916 (Edlich); 3,648,001 (Anderson et al); 3,911,241 (Jarrard); 4,089,336 (Cage et al); 4,091,813 (Shaw et al); 4,112,950 (pike); 4,185,632 (Shaw); 4,311,145 (Esty et al); 4,362,160 (Hiltebrandt); 4,638,802 (Okada); 4,375,218 (DiGeronimo); 4,427,006 (Nottke); 4,481,057 (Beard); 4,562,838 (Walker); 4,640,279 (Beard); 4,646,738 (Trott); 4,674,498 (Stasz); 4,793,346 (Mindich); 4,802,476 (Noerenberg et al); 4,903,696 (Stasz et al); 4,922,903 (Welch et al); 4,850,353 (Stasz et al); and 5,013,312 (Parins et al).
While such prior art devices are generally suitable for their intended purposes, they never the less leave much to be desired from the standpoint of usefulness for a wide range of applications. For example, such prior art devices are not well suited for effectively debulking and cauterizing tissue within the body of the being via a small natural orifice or small percutaneous incision or puncture during laparoscopic or endoscopic procedures.